S. Andrea at Classis, is the little chapel now dedicated in his honour in the Arcivescovado of Ravenna.  It is perhaps the only one of his works which remains.  The little square chamber, out of which the sanctuary opens, is upheld by four arches, which are covered, as is the vaulting, with most precious mosaics, still of the fifth century, though they have been and are still being much restored.  On the angles of the vaulting, on a gold ground, we see four glorious white angels holding aloft in their upraised hands the symbol of Our Lord.  Between them are the mighty signs of the Four Evangelists, the angel, the lion, the ox, and the eagle.  In the key, as it were, of the arches east and west is a medallion of Our Lord, and three by three under the arch on either side the eleven Apostles and S. Paul, who takes the place of Judas instead of Matthias.  In the key of the arches north and south is a medallion of the symbol of Christ, and three by three under the arch on either side six saints, the men to the right SS.  Damian, Fabian, Sebastian, Chrysanthus, Chrysologus, and Cassianus; the women to the left SS.  Cecilia, Eugenia, Eufemia, Felicitas, Perpetua, and Daria.  Here the SS.  Fabian, Sebastian, and Damian, Dr. Ricci tells us, are altogether restorations.  For the rest, these mosaics have suffered much, both from restoration, properly so called, and from painting.

The pavement is old and beautiful, as I think are the walls, but the frescoes, once by Luca Longhi, are most unworthy and out of place.  The recess which now contains the altar might seem not to have made a part of the original chapel or oratory; it appears it was only in the eighteenth century that the two were thrown into one.  At that time the mosaics of the Blessed Virgin and of S. Apollinaris and S. Vitalis were brought here from the old cathedral.

Just outside this wonderful little chapel in the Arcivescovado there is an apartment devoted to Roman and other remains found from time to time in Ravenna:  a torso of a statue, a work of Roman antiquity, should be noted, as should certain fragments of a frieze, also an antique Roman work.  Here, too, is preserved the splendid cope of S. Giovanni Angeloptes who was archbishop from 477 to 494[1] when he died.

[Footnote 1:  Cf.  A. Testi Rasponi, op. cit. supra.]

In another apartment of the Arcivescovado is preserved a relic of another great archbishop of Ravenna:  the ivory throne of S. Maximianus.  This is a magnificent work of the early part of the sixth century, and is one of the most splendid works known to us of its kind.  It was made for the cathedral of Ravenna, but in or about the year 1001 it was carried off by the Venetians and given by doge Pietro Orseolo II. to the emperor Otto III., who left it to the church of Ravenna on his death.  It is entirely formed of ivory leaves, most of them carved sumptuously in relief.  In front we see the monogram of Maximianus Episcopus and under it are carvings of S. John Baptist between the Four Evangelists; all these between elaborately carved decorative panels.  About the throne to right and left is the story of Joseph in ten panels, and upon the back in the seven panels that remain[2] the miracles of Our Lord.  Altogether it is a work of the most lovely kind, and certainly Byzantine.